Category Archives: Nicole Malliotakis

Republican mayoral candidates Nicole Malliotakis and Paul Massey crossed paths at the Queens Republican Party’s Spring Dinner, working the crowd separately and each speaking during dinner Wednesday night. In a bit of fortuitous timing Massey walked into the dinner as Malliotakis explained her late entry into the race as motivated by the fact that “I haven’t seen the passion, I haven’t seen the energy” from the other candidates. That was as close as they came to any direct debate or confrontation, however.

With a decision on the Conservative Party nomination for mayor expected in less than a week, Nicole Malliotakis’ prospects appear increasingly strong. Last night the Queens County Conservative Party informally lined up behind Malliotakis after hosting her for a screening interview, according to Queens County Chairman Tom Long. A formal vote by the Queens County Committee is not expected until May 18th, however. (Our report from the recent Queens County Conservative Dinner is available here.) Continue reading Conservative Party Nomination?→

At a City Hall press conference Friday Republican mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis suggested that she may cause a change in two significant endorsements received by rival candidate Paul Massey. Massey has received the endorsement of the Queens Republican Party and Staten Island Assembly Member Ron Castorina. Queens Republican Party Chairman Bob Turner was an early supporter of Massey and his Queens Republican Party endorsed Massey last week. Castorina, expected to be elected chairman of the Staten Island Republican Party soon, was the first elected official to have endorsed a Republican mayoral candidate (our report from his February 22nd endorsement is available here).

Friday I asked Malliotakis how she plans to overcome Massey’s early advantages of the two endorsements and significant fundraising. Before criticizing Massey Malliotakis addressed the endorsements, saying that “perhaps that will change now that I’m in the race.”

Republican mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis held a campaign kickoff press conference Friday at City Hall. Malliotakis became a candidate and began campaigning about two weeks ago, so the news in her appearance comes from her comments rather the fact of her candidacy.

In her fourth term in the New York State Assembly, and one of only seven New York City Republicans holding city or state office, Malliotakis is fairly well-known to New York City Republicans. She’s a fairly late entry in the race, but with an established Staten Island electoral base and a fair amount of name recognition among City Republicans she’s an immediately viable candidate.

Malliotakis fielded a wide range of press questions, covering her candidacy and prospects and rival Paul Massey, City policing and crime, her recent condemnation of Linda Sarsour, the American Health Care Act, Mayor de Blasio and her position on continuing to allow carriage horses to operate.

Republican mayoral candidates Nicole Malliotakis and Paul Massey mixed it up a bit Thursday, with Massey issuing a statement critical of Malliotakis for receiving campaign contributions from Linda Sarsour. Malliotakis has recently criticized Sarsour, a Palestinian-American political activist, and demanded that CUNY rescind an invitation to Sarsour to speak at commencement. State Board of Election records show that Sarsour gave Malliotakis two contributions of $150 each, one in 2011 and one in 2012.

Malliotakis dismissed Massey’s criticism, suggesting that “he should be focusing on actually proposing something for the voters.”

“I’m actually very torn on it.” That’s Republican mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis on whether she supports holding a New York State constitutional convention.

The 2017 general election will present voters with a ballot question of whether to hold such a constitutional convention, often referred to as a “ConCon.” The state constitution requires that voters be presented with such a ballot question every 20 years; it was voted down in 1997 and 1977. Should voters approve a ConCon, convention delegates would be elected in the 2018 general election and the convention would convene in the spring of 2019.

Malliotakis, who is her fourth term in the state Assembly, described potential positives from a convention as including reducing the power of the Assembly speaker, legislative term limits and more equitable treatment of legislators. She expressed concerns about stripping or reductions of public employee pensions. Malliotakis is, for a Republican elected official, unusually supportive of public employees and public sector unions.

“I don’t know because I haven’t read it.” That was Republican mayoral candidate and Assembly Member Nicole Malliotakis’ final answer when asked whether she supports the American Health Care Act, approved Thursday by the House of Representatives. Malliotakis expressed general support for a replacement of the Affordable Care Act while emphasizing the importance of considering the precise terms of any proposed legislation. The AHCA text was released only the night before the House voted and few if any members had actually read it. I spoke with Malliotakis following her appearance Thursday night at the Metropolitan Republican Club.

The Metropolitan Republican Club, that is. Assembly Member Nicole Malliotakis visited Manhattan’s Metropolitan Republican Club tonight as she continues rolling out her recently announced mayoral campaign. Speaking to an audience of 45-50 people for about 20 minutes, Malliotakis was well-received.

It was a Republican wrestling match as four candidates seeking the Republican nomination for mayor came together last night, participating in a forum hosted by the Manhattan Republican Party at the Upper East Side’s Metropolitan Republican Club. Smiling, joking and mostly making nice, they harshly attacked Mayor Bill de Blasio as the four engaged in their first group forum. They threw a few barbs at each other, and one managed to draw harsh condemnation afterwards for a comment involving Mayor de Blasio’s wife, but they mostly tried to push past each other as they sought audience and press attention.

Michel Faulkner, Nicole Malliotakis and Paul Massey are Republicans seeking their party’s nomination while Bo Dietl is a former Republican seeking a party waiver to run in the Republican primary. The forum was important for all four, but especially critical for Dietl as he seeks a Wilson-Pakula; dispensation from at least three of the GOP county chairs to run in the Republican primary. All five were present, part of an overcapacity crowd and large press contingent.

Video:

Here is the full forum, including the introductory remarks of Manhattan GOP Chairwoman Adele Malpass:

The Republican mayoral primary rolled through Queens Village Sunday as America’s oldest Republican club held its annual Lincoln Day Dinner. Over 300 people attended, lamenting the perceived faults of the de Blasio administration and hoping for a path to ending that administration. Candidate Michel Faulkner and prospective candidate John Catsimatidis spoke during the dinner, while candidate Paul Massey attended the cocktail hour but did not address the crowd, departing before the dinner began. 2014 Republican gubernatorial nominee Rob Astorino also attended the cocktail hour, but departed without addressing the crowd.

With a long list of speakers and honorees, the dinner program limited the mayoral candidates to about 5 minutes each. Faulkner took full advantage of his short time, launching into a fiery denunciation of Mayor de Blasio with a “dump de Blasio chant” and a declaration of “desperate times” in both the country and the city. He breezed past his campaign finance difficulties, proclaiming that he’s “in it to win it.” He closed by quoting Donald Trump; unlike Paul Massey and prospective candidate Eric Ulrich, Faulkner is an enthusiastic Trump supporter.

It was dinner with the 1%. Not that 1%, but the 1% of New York City voters registered as Bronx Republicans. The not-quite 40,000 registered Bronx Republicans comprise less than 1% of New York City’s registered voters and don’t have any New York City or New York State elected officials, but they hosted an energetic dinner last night featuring two mayoral candidates and one prospective candidate.

Cast by Bronx County Republican Chairman Mike Rendino as kicking off the 2017 Republican mayoral race, the dinner featured appearances by candidates Paul Massey and Michel Faulkner and possible candidate John Catsimatidis. Among the three hundred or so attendees were Republican State Chairman Ed Cox, Republican County chairs from Queens, Manhattan and Staten Island and New York City’s two Republican members of the New York State Assembly, Staten Islanders Nicole Malliotakis and Ron Castorina.

Mayor Bill de Blasio marked the third anniversary of Hurricane Sandy today with a visit to Staten Island’s south shore. Appearing in front of a home rebuilt by the Build It Back program, de Blasio lauded the progress in Build It Back during his administration. He announced that the program is to be completed by the end of 2016 and detailed the evolution in the program from the time he took office. Among the statistics he cited were “2,015 construction starts (including 1,217 construction completions), as well as 5,319 reimbursement checks totaling nearly $104 million”, while noting that each of these categories was at zero when he took office.